Oil cleaner



May 29, T9281 I 1,671,391 1 C. A. WINSLOW ET AL OIL CLEANER Filed Sept. 25, 1924 3 she'ets sheet 1 gmwn toi 6/. d. h z'nslam 12 15 a May 29, 1928.

c. A. WINSLOW ET AL OIL CLEANER s Sheets-Shet 2 Filed Sept. 25, 1924 May 29, 1928.

C. A. WINSLOW ET AL OIL CLEANER 3 Shegts-Shet 3 Filed Se '0. 25, 1924 Ill Patented May 29, 1928.

CHARLES A. WINSLOW, 0E VALLEJO, AND ELBERT J. HALL, on EEaEELEv, cannon i on, CLEANER.

Application filed September 25, 1924. Serial No. 739,959.

The present invention has for its object to-eliminate the impurities from the lubricating oil of an oiling system in which the parts to be lubricated are reached by the 011 in circulation and in the specific application of the invention the cleaner is disposed within the crank case of an internal combustion engine and the oil in its circulation passes therethrough and the impurities contained therein are eliminated thereby insuring clean oil being supplied to the wearing parts which is a desideratum to prolong the life of the mechanism as well as preventing a waste of lubricant by an early discard thereof.

The invention furthermore provides acleaner which is automatic in action, simple in construction, adapted to be readily installed and capable of being readily cleaned without necessitating the stopping of the motor and the removal of the oil from the crank case, said cleaner embodying a few number of parts which are readily replaceable should occasion require.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent and suggest themselves as the nature of the invention is understood.

While the drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention it is to be understood that in adapting the same to meet different conditions and requirements, various changes in the form, proportion and 11111101 details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the nature of the internal combustion engine,

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view on the line 22 of Figure 1, looking in the d rection ofthe arrows,

separating screen 15.

type, the same being illustrated to demonstrate the application of the invention, and 11 designates the crank case which in accordance with the present invention is provldedin its bottom with an opening from which rises a wall 12 which is preferably of c1rcular outline and terminates some distance above the bottom of the crank case, thereby forming a guard to retain a quantityof oil in the crank caseand prevent it passing off through the opening in the bottom thereof. A cap 13 closes the openin in the bottom of the crank case and its mi dle portion is depressed and formed with an opening which is closed by means of a plug 14, which may be removed to provide an outlet for sediment and other impurities. A separating screen 15 is supported upon'the cap 13 and is disposed centrally within the upstanding wall 12. A filter 16 is likewise supported upon the cap 13 and occupies the space formed between the separating screen 15 and the upstanding wall 12. The separating screen 15 and the filter 16 project above the top of the upstanding wall 12 and terminate in a given horizontal plane and normally support a valvel'l which is free to rise under the influence of the oil when exerting an upward pressure thereon so as to discharge into the space 18 formed be-.

tween the wall 12 and filter 16 in the event discharge of the oil after completing a cir- I cuit. A collar 21 depends from the pan 19 in line with the opening therein and extends a short distance into the upper end of the I The valire 17 is mounted upon the collar 21 and the latter has an' outer flange 22 at its lower end to engage and support the valve 17 when the cap 13 and attached parts are removed for cleaning or other purpose.

It is observed that the cleaner embodies a few number of parts and is readily detachable from the crank case for cleaning or replacement and when the cleaner is removed, the oil in the crank case is retained and prevented from passing off by reason of the upstanding wall 12 and this wall alsoforms a sediment chamber in which the impurities eliminated from the oil accumulate and which are removed therefrom at intervals by removing the cap 13. The oil is circu-' and filter 16 the valve 17 remains seatedupon the top of the screen and filter but when these parts become clogged and the 0d accumulates therein, it exerts an upward pressure upon the valve 17 and passes over the screen and filter into the sediment chamher formed by the upstanding wall 12' thereby depositing any sediment within said chamber and passing over the top of the latter in the usual way into the crank case for further use in the manner well understood.

Figure 4 and the detail views thereof show a slightlymodified form of crank case which is designated by the numeral 11 and 19 denotes a pan or like catcher for the returned oil and which has a discharge opening 24 for the escape of the oil into a compartment 25 formed at one end' of the crank case by'means of an upstanding wall 26. A lip 27 vdepends from the pan or oil catcher 19 in line with the forward side of the opening 24. A cap 28 closes an opening formed in the bottom of the crank case 11 in line with the chamber 25 and this cap has an opening which is closed by means of a plug 29. similar in construction to the plug 14 and performing a like oilice, The cap 28 serves the same purpose as the cap 13 and carries the separating and filtering elements.

The numeral 30 denotes a separating screen which effects an initial cleaning of the oil by eliminating the major .part of the impurities. In the preferable construction the separating screen 30'inclines upwardly and rearwardly and terminates at its upper end in an overhangingportion 31 which approaches to within a shortdistance of the depending lip 27. A filter 32 similarly inclines upwardly and rearwardly and terminates at its upper end in an overhanging portion 33 which'likewise extends to within a short distance of'the lip 27, Thescreen and filter are attached at their lower ends to the cap 28 and their upper overhanging ends approach to within a short distance of the pan or oil receiver 1.9". The upstanding Wall 26 terminates some distance from the overhanging ends 27 and 33 of the separating screen and filter and the lower end'of the depending lip 27 terminates in a horizontal plane intermediate horizontal planes touching the top of the wall 26 andthe overhanging portion 33 of the filter. The

' upstanding wall 26 forms a guard to retain the oil within the crank case when the cap 28 and oil cleaning members 30 and 32 attached thereto are'removed.

The clean oil from the crank case 11 is drawn therefrom through the opening 34 and after being supplied to the parts to be lubricated is returned and delivered upon the pan or like part 19 and passes through the opening '24 thereof into the chamber 25 and overflows therefrominto the crank case for further use in a manner well understood. The oil laden with impurities passes through the screen 30 and filter 32 before overflowing the wall 26 and in the event of the separating sc'reen. 30 and the filter 32 becoming clogged the oil rises and escapes through the passage 35 formed between the lip 27 and the ends of the overhanging portions 31 and 33,the' reby insuring the returned oil being su plied to the j crank case to prevent the bearings from .be-

coming dry and burning. What is claimed is 1. An oil cleaner of the character specified comprising a sediment chamber, a separating screen within the sediment chain, her and defining a space therein, a filter/dis posed in the space formed between the separating screen and the outerwall of the sediment chamber and laterally surrounding the screen, the filter projecting some distance above the top of the sediment chamber, means for supplying the oil to the separating screen through the filter, and a valve normally seated upon the filter and adapted to be unseated to provide an outlet for the oil in the event of the filter becoming choked. y

2. In a lubricating system for engines and like machines, the combination with an oil reservoir having an opening in its bottom, a cap closing said openin a filter mounted on said cap and remova le therewith, and an imperforate wall forming a dam between the main body of the reservoirand the filter whereby the cap and filter may be removed without emptying the content-s of the main body of the reservoir.

3. In a lubricating system for engines and like machines, the combination with an oil reservoir containing oil to be supplied to the parts to be lubricated and having an opening in its bottom, a removable cap closing the opening, a filter carried by the cap through which oil escaping from the'lubricated parts passes, an imperforate wall forming a dam between the filter and the main body of the reservoir projecting some distance above the bottom of the reservoir whereby the cap and filter may be removed without emptying the contents of the main body of the reservoir, and means for directing oil escaping from the lubricated parts to the filter.

4. In an oil cleaner of the character specified, a crank case having an opening in its bottom and an upstanding wall in line with said opening forming a sediment chamber, a

. cap normally closing the opening in the bottom of the crank case, a cleaner carried by said cap, a-pan within the crank case and having an opening in its bottom and a depending collar in line with the opening extending into the upper portion of the cleaner, said collar having a stop or outer shoulder at its lower end, and a valve mounted upon said collar and normally seated upon the cleaner and retained in place upon the collar by the stop thereof when the said cap and cleaner are removed.

5. A force feed lubricating system for en gines and like machines, comprising an oil reservoir, a circulating pump, a filter having its inlet side in communication with the oil escaping from the lubricated parts, and its discharge side in communication'with the pump, means in communication with the pump for distributing the filtered oil to the parts to be lubricated, and suction operated means to permit the oil to pass around the filter in event of clogging of the filter, said suction-operated means serving to cause oil to pass under pressure, regardless of the head of oil on the inlet side.

6. I In a lubricating system for engines and like machines, the combination with a reservoir having an outlet through which oil is supplied to the parts to be lubricated and an inlet to receive oil escaping from the lubricated parts, a filter interposed between the inlet and outlet of the reservoir and rojectin evel of t e oil in the reservoir, and apressure operated valve arranged at the top of the filter to permit oil to overflow in event of stoppage of the filter.

7. In an oil cleaner of the character specified, a crank case having an opening, a hollow imperforate member forming a dam between the body of the crank caseand the opening, a filter arranged within said member, and means supply-in the oil to the filter.

v8. In an oil cleaner 0 the character specisome distance above the normal fied, a crank case having an opening, a hollow imperforate member forming a dam between the body of the crank case and said opening, and a filter arranged within said member and adapted to be applied and removed through said opening, and means for supplying the oil to said filter.

9. In an oil cleaner of the character s ecified, a crank case having an opening, a lter within the crank case adapted to'be applied or removed through said opening, means for supplying the oil to the filter, and a valve associated with said means and the filter to normally cause the oil to pass through said filter, said valve automatically opening to permit oil to pass around the filter in event of stoppage of the filter.

10. In a lubricating system for engines and like machines, a reservoir having a sump, means for delivering oil escaping from the lubricated parts into said sump, a filter disposed in the sump and through which returned oil is drawn into the reservoir, a re movable closure for the bottom of the sump, through which the filter may be withdrawn for cleaning, and means separating the main body of the reservoir from the sump, whereby when the closure is removed for cleaning, the oil in the reservoir is prevented from escaping, said valve acting to by-pass the fluidaround the filter when the latter becomes stopped.

11. A filter having an open upper end, a

feed spout entering said opening and spaced wall thereof, the inner end of said feed spout having an outwardly directed flange, and a valve slidably mounted upon the feed spout and extending therefrom to and contacting withsaid end of the filter. v

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

CHARLES A. WINSLOW. 'ELBERT J. HALL. 

